A Hand to Hold
by AmyVS7
Summary: On a night out with the detectives, an incident in the pub makes Alesha realises she needs a hand to hold.


Law & Order: UK Fic

Pairing: Mattesha

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Spoilers: Slight spoilers for 'Alesha' episode, although I'm more than certain you've all seen that by now.

Summary: On a night out with the detectives, an incident in the pub makes Alesha realises she needs a hand to hold.

**A Hand to Hold**

"Right come on Ronnie, it's your round!" Matt said cheerily to his partner, having drunk the last of his pint.

"No it's not!" Ronnie said adamantly "I bought the first one."

"He's just trying to get out of it" Matt turned to Alesha as he said this.

"No he's not" Alesha defended the older copper "Ronnie got the first round, then you did Matt, so I think you'll find DS Devlin it is _my_ round" Alesha said reasonably.

"Thank-you Alesha, see _there's_ a woman who knows right from wrong" Ronnie held up his drink to toast the young crown prosecutor "You could learn a thing or two from her Matty, my boy."

Matt rolled his eyes and Alesha just giggled as she got up from the table.

"Need a hand?" Matt asked her.

"No, no" Alesha grinned cheekily at the young detective "It's the 21st century; it may come as a surprise to you DS Devlin but a woman can not only carry a round of drinks, but also knows when to pay for her round. I can look after myself." A smirk was plastered across her face before she turned and walked towards the bar. Matt couldn't help but smile as he watched her go. Her feisty, independent and confident nature made her even more attractive in Matt's eyes.

"Something I should know about?" Ronnie wondered, as he could see Matt was still watching Alesha.

Matt turned back to Ronnie, confused at not having heard a word he said "What?"

Ronnie grinned "You and" he nodded his head in the direction of Alesha.

Matt's eyes widened "No, no course not. No."

"You sure Matty?" Now Ronnie was beginning to get curious "You have been flirting all evening."

"Don't be stupid, it's Alesha! ... We work together."

"Never stopped you before" Ronnie said, taking a last swig of his orange juice. The two of them couldn't help but laugh at the comment, Matt knowing Ronnie had made a fair argument.

..

Elsewhere at the bar, Alesha had just ordered the drinks, she was leant against the bar patiently waiting for them when she saw out of the corner of her eye a young lad, he looked about twenty two, approach her. His group of mates standing nearby, laughing and encouraging him.

"Hey sweetness, can I buy you a drink?" He was eyeing Alesha's attire of short navy dress, black tights and heels.

Alesha didn't even turn to look at him, as she continued to stare at the drinks behind the bar "No thank-you."

This lad was persistent, brushing up way too close to Alesha for her liking "Oh come on love, surely just one drink?"

Alesha turned to face him, now agitated "Are you stupid or something, I said no!"

The lad's tone then got more aggressive "Who the hell do you think you are talking to like that?" he said loudly, moving threateningly closer to her.

The commotion between Alesha and this lad had drawn the attention of people near them, including Ronnie and Matt.

Alesha was angry now "You of course, can't you understand English? I said I do _not_ want a drink, now can you just leave me alone!" Alesha shouted, trying to shove him away from her, but she was having trouble as this lad, although he appeared pretty slim, was a lot stronger than her and wasn't budging an inch from her.

Matt sprung up like a jack in a box as he saw the lad was getting a little too close for comfort, as clearly expressed by Alesha, henceforth he rushed towards them, Matt shouting "Oi, get away from her!" Matt grabbed hold of the lad and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. "You stay well clear, or it's more than a bloody nose you'll get, do you understand?"

"Alright that's enough, calm down!" said Ronnie who had come over to them, ready to intervene if it all got too heated.

Matt turned to Alesha who looked shaken up "Are you alright?" he brushed some of the hair from her face.

Alesha nodded, instinctively moving close up to Matt "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

The lad got onto his feet, wiping the blood from his nose. He came closer to Matt who had his arm around Alesha, protectively.

The lad looked aggravated as he stepped closer to Matt "_No one_ tells me what to do, d'ya hear me! You have no right! What the hell do you think you're playing at?" The lad then looked at Alesha in a way that made her feel very uncomfortable, but Matt was quick in stopping this as he stepped closer to the lad.

"Oh I think you'll find I do have a right, because I'm a copper" he showed him and his mates his ID "And more importantly she's my wife, _so back off!_"

Matt's words stunned Alesha and Ronnie, but he continued with the facade "And if you _ever_ come anywhere near my wife again, you'll have a lot more than one copper to deal with ... and the same goes for the rest of you" he directed this at his gang of mates, before looking at Alesha with reassurance and care in his eyes as he took hold of her hand.

"I think its best you leave" the barman said to the lad and his mates.

"Yeah come on bruv" one of the lad's mates lead the way and the six of them left.

A pin drop could be heard in the pub for a moment before everyone carried on like nothing had happened. Chatter again filling the pub on this Friday night.

Alesha gave a sigh of relief, whilst Matt was clutching his now sore hand.

"Are you both alright?" said Ronnie concernedly, coming closer to the two of them.

Alesha nodded, but tears were forming in her eyes "Sorry, I just need some air."

"Alesha..." Matt tried calling after her as he saw her leave through the pub doors, but Ronnie held him back "Let her go for a minute eh son, let's have a look at that hand."

"D'ya want this?" the landlord showed he had some ice wrapped in a tea towel.

"Cheers mate" said Matt gratefully, taking it off him and putting it on his hand, his knuckles were bright red and starting to swell up.

"You're welcome. And well done for doing what you did, that lad was asking for it. If he was chatting up my wife I'd have lamped him one and all."

Matt gave a small smile, before he turned to Ronnie "Sorry Ron, I know i shouldn't have resorted to violence."

"Hey you were protecting Alesha, instinct told you what to do" Ronnie patted him on the back.

Matt knew he had to go and find Alesha; he didn't like to think of her outside by herself knowing she was clearly distressed. So he went back to the table and got his coat and scarf on, noticing Alesha had left her things at the table, he picked them up and headed outside looking for her. He soon found her sat on a bench outside the pub.

"Hey" he said softly coming to sit next to her "You alright?" he could see she had been crying, her eyes were slightly smudged with mascara.

Alesha nodded quietly but she was clearly shivering "Freezing though!"

"Here I brought your things" he helped her put her coat on and she put on her scarf, her bag was already by her side.

Matt was still using the ice on his hand which was throbbing with the pain. Alesha noticed "How's your hand?"

Matt thought nothing of it "Hurts a bit, but I'll be fine."

"Here let me" Alesha took the ice pack and used it on Matt's hand "I can't believe you punched him!"

"He had it coming; I'm not having any little prat like that try it on with you."

"After all I am your wife" Alesha said with raised eyebrows and a cheeky smile.

Matt groaned in embarrassment, which caused Alesha to laugh as she asked "What were you thinking?"

"I genuinely have no idea" Matt laughed "I just said it without putting any thought into it..." he smiled at her "But hey, it worked a treat."

Alesha giggled "Yeah...yeah it did. Thank-you Matt" she reached across and kissed his cheek "It was nice being married to you, if only for five minutes."

Matt laughed "You're welcome, if anything like that happens again" he took hold of her hand to assure her "I'll be right there."

"I appreciate that Matt, thanks" Alesha let go of his hand to continue to nurse his other swollen hand gently.

Matt watched her for a moment, noticing Alesha's eyes were blood shot from crying "'Lesh, are you sure you're okay? You've been crying."

Alesha gave a small smile "Yeah I am now...it's just..." she had to stop herself "No, no forget it, it's stupid."

"No go on" Matt encouraged her "Lesh, it's me, you can tell me."

"It's just...with that lad...it reminded me of what I went through with..." she took a deep shaky breath.

"Merrick?" Matt finished for her, cautiously.

Alesha nodded, trying to fight off the tears again.

"Oh sweetheart come here" he cuddled her as she spoke whilst trying to hold back her sobs "It's like I had no control, that lad was trying it on with me and I just wanted him away from me, it just felt all a bit too much." She gave a shaky sigh "You probably think I'm overreacting."

"No of course I don't!" Matt was quick to reassure her as they came out of the embrace "Darling, what you went through was an horrific ordeal, and when a guy gets too close for comfort I'm not surprised it brings it all back for you."

"I just don't want him hanging over me like a dark cloud everytime a guy tries something."

"It will go in time. And anyway not all guys are like Merrick and that boy in there...some of us can be gentlemen."

"Are you including yourself in this?" Alesha asked with a chuckle.

Matt's twinkle in the eye showed his answer "But of course, I'm the perfect gentleman."

Alesha giggled "And you are ... sometimes. But from what I've heard from some of the girls in work it hasn't always been that way."

"Who have you been talking to?" Matt asked, very much surprised.

Alesha giggled "You don't want to know."

Matt couldn't help but laugh briefly before he said unassumingly, and rather uncharacteristically with a bit of shyness in his voice "But with you, I like to think I am."

"With me..." Alesha considered this for a moment "Yeah...I mean you're a bit cheeky and flirtatious, but that's just who you are Matt. But all in all you've been the most considerate and caring guy I've ever known, i mean you even pretended to be my husband!" she smiled, then she thought of something as she looked a little lost "Maybe I can't look after myself as well as I thought I could."

Matt begged to differ "Oh I don't know, you can handle yourself pretty well Alesha."

"Most of the time" Alesha agreed "But sometimes... I do need someone to hold my hand."

Matt smiled at her and took hold of her hand yet again. Alesha looked at him seriously, it finally dawning on her what was in front of her the whole time, the one person who had stuck by her through everything, and would do or say anything to help her, was sitting right next to her. Holding her hand. And without thinking, Alesha reached across and kissed Matt, the briefest of kisses lead to a deeper kiss as Matt moved the ice away and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had not been expecting Alesha's kiss, nonetheless his feelings drove him to reciprocate it.

They broke apart after a while, Alesha feeling slightly embarrassed "Sorry."

Matt chuckled in surprise "You've _really_ got nothing to be sorry about."

Alesha blushed "Matt, I've got to say this now before I chicken out ... but ... would you like to go out with me?"

"You're asking me out?" Matt chuckled "See..." he cupped her cheeks "You're a lot more confident than you give yourself credit for Alesha, and I of course will go out with you."

They shared another kiss, Ronnie coming out of the pub complaining about the cold weather when he spotted the two of them.

"Oi, Mrs Devlin, are you going to buy us those drinks or what?" Ronnie teased them.

Matt and Alesha blushed as they saw their colleague, the pair of them laughing at what Ronnie had said.

"I'm not Mrs Devlin, Ronnie!" Alesha chuckled, as she and Matt got up from where they were sat.

"By the looks of things it won't be long till you will be!" he raised his eyebrows, cheekily.

"Oh Ronnie" Alesha rolled her eyes as Ronnie led the way back into the pub, Alesha and Matt following him behind.

Matt of course, holding her hand.


End file.
